Skirt-supporter.



No. 660,545. Patented Oct. 23, I900.

H. A. HEINEMAN.

SKIRT SUPPORTER.

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

elem 3mm.

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UNiTED STATES PATENT 'rrion HARRY A. HEINEMAN, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SKIRT-8U PPO RTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,545, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed April 5, 1899. serial No. 711,796; (No model.)

To all whom it WI/01y concern: Be it known that I, HARRY A. HEINEMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Skirt-Supporter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for supporting the skirts of ladies dresses and holding down the waists worn with such skirts.

The chief objects of my improvements are, first, to provide improved means for suspending skirts from corsets; and, second, to provide a skiitsupporter which will not only firmly support the skirt of a dress, but will hold down a separate waist worn with such skirt, and thus make the use of safety-pins and other similar means now used for keeping such waists in position unnecessary. I attain these objects by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a skirt suspended from a pair of corsets and a portion of a waist held in position by one of my improved skirt-supporters, the corsets and the greater part of the skirt-supporter being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same parts shown in Fig. 2, but representing the underwaist, shirtwaist, and skirt as detached from the portion of the supporter attached directly to the corsets. Fig. 4c is a detailed view in elevation of a portion of a pair of corsets having a part of my skirt-supporter attached thereto. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a detail. Fig. 6 isa detailed view of the parts entering into the loop of my supporter ready to be put together, and Fig. 7 is a similar view of the loop when completed.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a portion of the back of a pair of corsets whose parts-a are secured together in the usual manner by a lacing a, passed through the eyelets a B represents an nnderwaist, C a shirt-waist, and D the skirt of a dress.

In the preferred form of my device represented in the drawings, E represents a button having a shank e attached at its inner end to a button-plate E, whose chief function is to act as a guard and prevent the button from inconveniencing a wearer. The plate E, as shown, contains two perforations e, one near each lower corner. These, though desirable, are not essential. A pair of upwardly-extending arms E are shown attached to the plate by means of pivots (2 upon which they turn laterally. Each of said arms is provided at its outer end with a hook E adapted to enter an eyelet (t and preferably, though not necessarily, so formed as to prevent its accidental disengagement from an eyelet of a pair of corsets while they are laced and on a wearer. gagement,I preferably make the top 6 of the hook sufficiently long to strike the top of the eyelet engaged thereby when pushed upward unless the corset is bent and make the return-bend or tip e of the hook longer than the diameter of the eyelet it is intended to pass through, and preferably, though not necessarily, bend said tip e back toward the arm E, with which itis connected, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. I also consider it advantageous to give the hook E a backward and outward curve 6 at the back thereof, so as to make room therein for an eyelet and at the same time allow the arm E to lie close to the corset, and the parts are as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. This arrangement enables the bottom plate E of my device to be suspended from opposite eyelets of a pairof corsets regardless of whether the parts a are near each other or are so laced as to remain a considerable distance apart, and my device In order to prevent such disencan be attached in place in a moment and when hooked cannot be disengaged accidentally. Moreover, the arms E cannot yield longitudinally and are extremely durable.

The lateral adjustability of the arms B. may be secured by several well-known mechanical means besides those shown, which will at once suggest themselves to any good mechanic as available substitutes for the means I have described, and I desire to cover all such known substitutes, as well as said special preferred means, Where I refer to means for securing lateral adjustability in general terms.

E represents a string or lacing passing through perforations in the plate E and through eyelet-holes in the corsets and do signed to prevent the plate E from swinging laterally. Though useful it is not essential.

F represents a loop designed to be fastened to the band d of the skirt to be supported by means of threads f or other suitable means, which in the preferred construction are passed through the openings f and around the base f The loop contains an opening F, having an enlarged portion f to admit theinward passage of the head of the button E, and a contracted portion f designed to fit around the shanke of said button back of its head 6 substantially as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. This loop may be madein many ways, as will be obvious; but in order to secure the greatest possible lightness, strength, cheapness, and durability and at,the same time prevent its cutting or otherwise injuring the material of any waist which it may be used to fasten I preferably construct it as follows: I first take a piece of round wire and bend it so as to form the upper end f of the opening F and two laterally and oppositely extending arms f and bring its ends f around'so as to be opposite each other, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 6. I then fasten the ends f together and strengthen and stififen the device by means of a metal Y-shaped blank F having two upwardlyextending armsf and a central downwardlyextending portion f. I do this by bending thenpper ends of the arms f down around the topsf of the armsf and the downwardlyextending portion f up around the ends]" of the baseportion f of the loop, all substantially as shown in Fig. 7. This completes the loopQ, The enlarged portion f of the opening F is left between the arms f of said blank.

If desired, my device may be fastened on the inside of a waist; but where it is used not only as a skirt-supporter, but as a means for holding a shirt-waist down, the button E is first suspended from the corsets. If an underwaist B is worn, it and the waist O are next put on, and finally the loop F is passed over the head of the button without removing the fabric between it and the button and then pulled down into the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This fastens all the parts together, and they are not liable to become accidentally disengaged.

In describing the preferred form of my device I have spoken of the means engaged by the skirt-loop asa button but I wish to be understood as desiring to cover as equivalents other suitable means for suspending a skirt from the arms E and as not confining myself to the use of a button.

I claim- 1. In a skirt-supporter, the combination with a guard-plate, of two arms independ= ently pivoted to the upper part of said guardpl'ate so as to allow it to swing laterally, but prevent it swinging outwardly, an opening or openings in the lower part of said guard plate and adapted to receive a cord for securing the lower part of said plate to the corset, and means for detachably securing the skirt to said guard-plate.

2. In a skirt-supporter loop, the combination of a wire bent to form an upwardly-extending portion with the opening f and the laterally extending arms f and the Y- shaped piece F bent around the tops f and the basesf of said arms; substantially as shown and described.

HARRY A. HEINEMAN.

In presence of-- BENJ. F. REX, O. D. GREENE, Jr. 

